Stitch-cutting machine



Nov. 21, 1939. G, HAZELTON l 2,180,414

STITCH-CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17, 1939 y Patented Nov. 21, 12939 UNITED STATES PATENT @.FFCE

STITCH-CUTTING MACHINE George Hazelton, Leicester, England, assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough, of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New .lerl Sey Application January 17, 1939, Serial No. 251,379 i In Great Britain February 2, .1938

- 8 Claims.

This invention relates to stitch-cutting ma@ chines and is illustrated las embodied in a machine for severing stitches securing the heel end of an attached outsole to a shoe.

In the manufacture of McKay or lockstitch shoes, for example, it is common practice for the operator to sever sole-attaching stitches which extend rearward of the heel-breast line of the sole of the shoe in order that a crease plate or a cutting bed of a fitting machine for trimming the heel end of the sole for the reception of a heel may be interposed between the bottom of the shoe and the portions of the sole extending rearward of said heel-breast line. To sever the stitches by the use of a hand knife requires considerable time and is subject to the objection that the operator tends to cut stitches extending a considerable distance forwardly of the heel-breast line.

In accordance with a feature of this invention, there is provided a machine comprisingv a plate constructedv and arranged to be interposed between the heel end of an attached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, cutting means, mechanism for causing said cutting means to vibrate back and forth, and means for causing the plate normally to mask the cutting means, thel plate being movable in response to pressure exerted against the same by uncut stitches securing the heel end of the sole to the shoe upper thereby purpose of severing said stitches.

The operator presents the slice heel-end first and bottom-side up to the machine, the rear end of the sole sliding over the top of the masking plate and the remainder of the heel end of the shoe passing beneath said plate. When soleattaching stitches extending rearward of the heelbreast line of the shoe engage the front edge of the masking plate, they move the plate rearward, thereby exposing the cutting edges ofknives 40 which constitute the cutting means and which are vibrated over the upper surface'of the plate, to

cut the sole-attaching stitches. In order to limitrendering said cutting means operative for the detailed description read inv Aconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figs. l and 2 are front and plan views, respectively, partly in section and partly broken away,

of an illustrative machine;

Fig. 3 is a section on line III-III of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan viewk showingA the stitch-cuttingvknives in their unmasked operativel positions, the shoe lbeing operated upon having been moved rearward against the back gage; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewiof the heel end of the shoe, the rear sole-attaching stitches of which are to be severed by the above machine.

The illustrated machine is described withreference to cutting stitches Zil (Figs. 2, `l and 5) securing the heel end of-a sole 22 to a shoe 24 preparatory to trimming the sole for thereception of a heel, `for example,.by the iitting machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,017,151, granted October-15, 1935, on an application led in the names of Hazelton, James rand Bacon. As above stated, inl order that a cutting bed (not shown) of the above-mentioned tting machine, or crease plates (not shown) such as used in proposed heel-seat tting machines may be readily interposed between the bottom 25 (Fig. 5) of the shoe upper and theportion of the sole 22 extending rearward of the heel-breast line 28, it is desirablerst to cut any sole-(attaching stitches extending rearward of the heel-breast line. By the use cf the illustrated machine the operator can quickly and effectively cut the stitches 28 extending rearward of the heel-breast line 28 of the sole without any danger of cutting stitches extending a substantial distance forwardly of said line.

Secured'by screws 30 (Figs. y1 and 2) to a casting `32 is a bridge piece 3@ having an arcuate guideway 36 in which two slides 38,39 are movable. The slides 38, 39 are located side by side and are retained `in the guideway by upstanding walls of the bridge piece 34 and by a cover plate 40 which is secured by. screws 42 to the bridge piece. f

Rotatably mounted -in the left side of the casting 32 is a horizontal shaft 4i (Fig. 2) extending forwardly andrearwardly of the machine and having a drive pulley l5 secured toits rear end. The shaft L16 has mounted on it a pairv of eccentrics 48 which are embraced by the connecting rods 5l) pivoted to the left-hand portions ofr the respective slides 38, 39. When the shaft M is rotated the slides 38, 38 oscillate in the guideway 36, theangular` movement of the eccentrics being such. that whenthe rear slide 3.9. is at the. left limit of its stroke the forward slide 38 is at the right limit of its stroke and vice versa. Formed integral with slides 36 and S9 are downwardly projecting blocks 52, 53, respectively, each of which is split vertically and has a groove 55 (Fig. 1) for receiving a stitch-cutting knife 54. The screws 56 (Figs. l and 4) have their end portions in threaded relation with the inner portions of the respective blocks 52, 53 and serve to clamp the knives 54 to the blocks, Each of the knives 54 projects forwardly from its corresponding block 52, 53 and has a rounded forward end which is sharpened to a cutting edge 5S (Figs. 2 and 4). The forward portions of the knives 54 are curved laterally and lie against the upper surface 60 of an arched masking plate or slide 62 which is movable along horizontal forwardly and rearwardly extending guideways 64 formed in the casting 32. The masking plate 62 is constantly urged forward by coil springs 66 (Figs. 2 and 3) which are located in recesses Sl (Fig. 3) formed in depending portions 'l0 of the masking plate 62, forward movement of the masking plate being limited by stop screws 'l2 which may be secured in diiferent adjusted positions to plates 'i4 clamped to the casting 32 by screws '16. The rear ends of the springs 66 engage retaining collars 63 (Fig. 3) formed integral with screws 65 which are threaded into plates 6l secured to the casting 32 by screws 69. The screws 65 may be secured against movement with relation to the respective plates 6l by lock nuts 1i. Rearward movement of the masking plate 62 against the action of the springs 66 is-limited by the engagement of adjustable stop screws 'i8 carried by the depending portions 'I0 of the masking plate 62 with the respective plates 61.

The stitch-cutting knives 54 remain in contact with the upper surface 60 of the masking plate 62 as they are oscillated or vibrated. The masking plate 62 is constantly urged by the springs 66 to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 in which its forward edge is arranged slightly in advance of the cutting edges 58 of the knives 54, and may be moved rearward against the action of the springs 65 until the cutting edges 58 of the knives extend slightly forward of the edge 90 of the plate. Located between the knifeengaging portions of the surface 60 of the masking plate 62 is a slightly raised serrated face 9| which engages the heel end of the attached sole and counteracts any tendency of the same to be laterally displaced by the knives.

The shoe is moved rearward by the operator, the heel end of the attached sole of the shoe sliding over the upper surface 60 of the masking plate 62 and the remainder of the heel end of the shoe passing beneath the plate. The masking plate 62 is quite thin and has a transverse curvature corresponding to the transverse curvature of `the average shoe bottom so that the plate can be readily interposed between the sole and the shoe bottom without unduly bending the sole. The plate 62 maintains its masked position ahead of the knives 54 as shown in Fig. 2 until it is engaged by the sole-attaching stitches 20 which extend rearwardly of the heel-breast line 28 of the sole, the knives oscillating transversely of the plate with their cutting edges 58 masked by the plate. When, however, a stitch to be cut is forced against the forward edge 90 of the masking plate 62, the plate is moved rearwardly along the guideways 64 by pressure of the stitch against said plate until the rounded cutting edges 58 of the knives 54 are exposed, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to sever the obstructing stitch, the two knives serving respectively to cut the lines of stitches at opposite sides of the sole should both lines extend rearward of the heelbreast line 28 of the sole.

In order that the sole-attaching stitches 20 shall not be cut a substantial distance forwardly of the heel-breast line 28 there is provided a back gage 92 which limits the rearward movement of the shoe. The back gage 92 may be located in a predetermined forward or rearward position in accordance with the length of a heel (not shown) which is to be attached to the shoe, and is measured in a heel gage (not shown). The mechanism for locating the back gage 92 in different adjusted positions is similar to corresponding mechanism disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,840,030, granted January 5, 1932, in the names of Gouldbourn, Ricks and Barclay, and need not be further described herein. When cutting sole-attaching stitches preparatory to trimming the sole by the machine disclosed in said United States Letters Patent No. 2,017,151 it is customary to set the back gage 92 so that the stitch-severing operation ends approximately one-eighth of an inch in advance of the heel-breast line 28 of the sole.

After the shoe vhas been moved rearwardly against the bank .gage 92 it is removed from the machine, the masking plate 62 being moved forwardly in its guideways 64 by the springs 66 until it is stopped by the screws 72.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A stitch-cutting machine having, in combination, a plate constructed and arranged to be interposed between the heel end of an attached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, cutting means, mechanism for causing said cutting means to vibrate back and forth, and means for causing the plate normally to mask said cutting means, said plate being movable in response to pressure exerted against the same by uncut stitches securing the heel end of the sole to the shoe upper thereby rendering said cutting means operative to sever said stitches.

2. A stitch-cutting machine having, in combination, a plate constructed and arranged to be interposed between the heel end of an attached sole and a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, a pair of knives having cutting edges, means for moving the knives in predetermined paths, and means for causing the plate normally to mask their knives, said plate being movable in response to pressure exerted against the same by stitches securing the heel end of the sole to the shoe upper thereby rendering the knives operative to cut said stitches.

3. A stitch-cutting machine having, in combination, a plate constructed and arranged to be interposed between the heel end o f an attached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, stitchcutting knives, means for continuously moving said knives in opposite directions along and widthwise of the plate, a back gage, and means for causing the plate normally to mask the knives, said plate being movable toward the back gage when engaged by stitches securing the heel end of the sole to the shoe upper in order to render said knives operative to cut said stitches until movement of the shoe is stopped by engagement of the shoe with the back gage.

4. A stitch-cutting machine having, in combination, an arched plate which has a thin front CII edge and is constructed and arranged to be intei-posed between the heel end of an attached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, knives having rounded cutting edges which are in engagement with the plate and are normally located tached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, a pair of knives having cutting edges, means for oscillating the knives over the plate with their respective cutting edges'in engagement with the plate and normally positioned just rearward of the front edge of the plate, stops, resilient means for normally forcing the plate against said stops thereby causing said cutting edges of lthe knives to be normally masked by the plate, and guideways for directing the plate in a predetermined path against the action of said resilient means when stitches vby which the heel end of the sole' is attached to the shoe engage the front edge of the plate, thereby causing the knives to project forwardly of the plate and to cut said soleattaching stitches.

6. A machine for cutting stitches by which the heel end of a sole is secured to a shoe having, n

combination, a slide having a thin front edge,v

resilient means for constantlyv urging the slide forward, an adjustable stop for limiting forward movement of the slide, a pair of kniveshaving cutting edges which are positioned adjacent t` `cut too kfar forward.l

the slide `and which are masked by the frontredge of the slide when the latter is in engagement with said stop, means for oscillating the knives widthwise of the slide, and a gage for stopping the shoe in a predetermined position in the machine.

7. A stitch-cutting machine having, in combif nation, a plate having a thin front edge, a back gage, a pair of knives having cutting edges which are normally masked by the front edgeI of said plate, and means for'oscillating the knives widthwise of the plate, said plate being constructed and arranged to be interposed between the Aheel end of an attached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe by forcing the shoe against the plate until further rearward movement of the shoe is prevented by the back gage, said plate being movable toward the back gage when lines of stitches extending rearward of the heel-breast line of the shoe are forced against the plate thereby ren` dering said knives operative to cutsaid stitches.

8. A stitch-cutting machine having, in combination, a thin plate constructed and arranged to be interposed between the heel end of an attached sole of a shoe and the bottom of the shoe, a pair of knives having cutting edges, means for oscillating the knives over the plate, means for causing the plate normally` to mask the knives, said plate being constructed and arranged to be moved when engaged by stitches attaching the heel end of the sole to the shoe in order to render the knives operative for the purpose of cutting said stitches, means associated with the plate for reducing any tendency of the heel end of the sole upon the plate to shift laterally, and means for limiting movement of the shoe with relation to the knives to insure against the stitches being GEORGE HAzELToN.

CER'JIIFICIUIE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,180,lp1}.|.. November 21, 1959, i

GEORGE HAZELTON.

It is hereby certified that error appears n the-prnted specification ofthe above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,l second column, line 29, for the word "bank" read -back-; line 51, elam 2,

for "and" Aafter "sole" read -of-; line 55, same o1aim`,for "their" read. --the; and that the said Letters Patent sholdbe read with this correo-1 tion therein that thesame may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of Aug-list, A. D. l9L}.O.

l iHenry Van Arsdale, n (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

